Ipswich Seven W1s v Harleston 2s

The game started well with Ipswich forcing an early save from the keeper. It wasn’t long before Ipswich won their first penalty corner with Sophie Sexton just missing the target.

Further corners ensued and it was a Sexton shot which forced the save enabling Sarah Daley to slot the ball neatly into the goal.

Harleston found their own and won a run of penalty corners, with player of the match GK Ali Barham forced into action. The Ipswich defence of Ellie Scott, Kat Blake and Keisha Brickwood-Hilaire held well and cleared the ball from danger.

With Ipswich recognising the Harleston tactics early, they began to nullify the attacks and look to put pressure on their defence. Great moves by midfielders Poppy Martin, Lucy Dunnett and Frankie Rogers pushed the ball through to the attackers with Chloe Williams, Lizzy Wheelhouse and Grace Nichols all getting close to the goal.

Entering halftime 1-0 up, the girls knew they still had work to do. Not long into the second half, Eloise Ward found space in the D following a great pass from Dunnett into Wheelhouse and smashed the ball into the roof of the net, only to see it disallowed for not travelling 5 metres outside the D. Ten minutes later, a fantastic hit into the D by Sexton allowed Sarah Bamfield to get the slightest of touches sending the ball flying past the keeper to take Ipswich 2-0 up.

It wasn’t long before Harleston mounted their own pressure and a loose clearance from Barham gave the attacker space to smash the ball into the goal to bring them back to 2-1.

It was never in doubt, with the Ipswich defence fully prepared to keep the result in their favour, they worked hard to keep the opposition at bay. Harleston won a penalty corner at the death following a text book tackle by Williams, but Barham was able to smother the oncoming shot to keep the ball out. A follow up corner was awarded but was calmly cleared by Sexton and Ipswich took the three points to see them pull clear at the top of the East Prem.